WWE 13: Access to Preview Through Demo Stations Has Pros and Cons

THQ announced a slightly alternative approach to allowing demo access to WWE 13. Starting October 15 participating Best Buy stores (click here to see the full list) will have demo stations set up in-store to allow the public to play the game early.

The extent of the build available hasn't been released, but it is referred to as a demo on the THQ website. The full retail version releases on October 30, but this will be the first hands-on look for most fans.

There are some pros to releasing the initial preview this way. It gets the game in the hands of gamers that don't have Xbox Live or Playstation Network. When games are released through download, it alienates the gamers without online access.

It also gives gamers a chance to compete against the lines of gamers that are sure to accumulate in the video games section. It is an alternative to allowing online play in the WWE.

On the negative side, some gamers may be turned off by the idea of playing the game in a store. It isn’t unreasonable to think that many gamers may prefer to preview the game in the privacy of their own homes.

There’s also the issue of accessibility. Though the list of Best Buy stores with a WWE 13 demo station is quite extensive, this type of rollout doesn’t reach as many fans as an online demo.

There is no way to prevent from rubbing one group of WWE gamers the wrong way. Depending on which side of the fence you’re on as a gamer, you’ll be either ecstatic or miffed by the way you've been granted access to the demo.

With only two weeks until the retail release, the chances that we’ll see a conventional demo are unlikely. THQ didn’t release a demo for WWE 12, so this is a step in giving fans some pre-release access.

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